I think as I'm getting a little older, I'm becoming a bit more fair-minded.

The effects in Life of Pi are stunning. Personally, I'd have gone with The Hobbit - but there's no reason to complain at this selection.

Anna Karenina's wins in Art Direction and Costume Design are fantastic ones. I'm a bit biased because it was my favorite film of the year, but the work done on the film really was stunning.

Cloud Atlas' win for Make-up is debatable, but I think worthy. The make-up is not always entirely convincing in disguising the actors in their different roles, but I'm not sure it's always meant to be. Regardless, the make-up work gets points for ambition, that's for damn sure.

I'd have been happy with a Hobbit win in any of these categories, but they really did reward some fantastic work tonight.

My advice for anyone feeling down during any of the awards shows this season: Look up the 2004 Academy Awards on YouTube and bask in the glory that was The Return of the King's Oscar Sweep. "All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake to find that it was vanity; But the dreamers of day are dangerous men. That they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible."- T.E. Lawrence

Considering the critic reviews were brutal to lukewarm for the Hobbit, I knew it wouldn't get anything from the Critics' Choice Awards. I don't mind that Life of Pi and Anna Karenina won those awards, since they were visually beautiful films, but the makeup award for Cloud Atlas is downright laughable. Those actors in Cloud Atlas had horrible makeup jobs for their multiple characters, and in some cases were just downright offensive- all that horrible makeup totally distracted me from the story.

...you can take comfort in the knowledge that Cloud Atlas wasn't nominated for the Make-up Oscar.

I actually think the chances are pretty evenly split between the 3 Make-up nominees, so The Hobbit may have a shot there (not so in its other categories). "All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake to find that it was vanity; But the dreamers of day are dangerous men. That they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible."- T.E. Lawrence

Considering some of the films that critics have been drooling over this year...
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...that I absolutely DESPISED are having awards dumped on them like nobody's business, I am both unsurprised and still reeling a bit from the feeling of disgust I had reading the Academy nominees list yesterday. (And this is coming from someone who used to be an avid Oscar-watcher and award winner-follower.)

It's just a little incredible to me that only two films really made me feel that I was watching something truly special this year - Pi and AUJ - and one of them has been dismissed by many critics as schlock. (Critics whom, in the past, I would have read and agreed with readily.) I suppose I'm feeling a little bit of whiplash in all of this. 'I do not know what is happening. The reason of my waking mind tells me that great evil has befallen and we stand at the end of days. But my heart says nay; and all my limbs are light, and a hope and joy are come to me that no reason can deny. Eowyn, Eowyn, White Lady of Rohan, in this hour I do not believe that any darkness will endure!' And he stooped and kissed her brow.

These large organisations that give out awards annually are entitled to pick who they think most suitable for their categories.

Whatever the critics think whether good or bad, The Hobbit has taken its place in movie history even before the gongs have been handed out and Peter Jackson is still regarded as one of the world's best directors with a talented and dedicated team to boot.

It is good to know that even lesser known organisations of awards have their day as well. . Cinema Audio Society -1 nomination for The Hobbit Visual Effects Society-6 nominations for The Hobbit